


Beatrice Thatcher

by mrs_d



Category: due South
Genre: Backstory, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-19
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-04-10 02:10:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4373195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrs_d/pseuds/mrs_d
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meg was twelve years old the day she decided she wanted to become a police officer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beatrice Thatcher

**Author's Note:**

> This is a piece of a larger story of Inspector Thatcher's life that I wanted to tell, but I ran out of time. It is named for the Iron Lady's mother, Beatrice Roberts. Thank you kindly to Ladies' Day creators and contributors for support and inspiration. Happy Ladies' Day 2015!

Meg was twelve years old the day she decided she wanted to become a police officer.

It was one of those perfect summer days that only come when school seems like a distant memory. Her mother had taken her in her brand-new car to Toronto, Meg’s favourite place in the whole world, to pick up the neighbourhood ladies’ Avon orders, but they made a day out of it like they always did in the summer. They went to the beach, had ice cream, and her mother even bought her new pink shoes.

“We’ll tell your father they’re for school, but you and me know the truth, right, Maggie?”

Meg giggled and nodded back.

“Men are always stupider than they look, sweetie, you remember that. Now come on, let’s go watch the boats for a bit before we head back.”

Meg doesn’t remember how much her mother drank that afternoon by the water, but she does remember the car weaving slightly, the siren getting louder behind them, the red and blue glimmers in the rear view mirror, and her mother reaching down by her feet to grab her purse.

She tossed it at Meg. “Buckle your seatbelt and find Mama’s grey liner, Maggie. Hurry!”

Meg handed it over and her mother drove with her knees, using her hands to smear the makeup under her eyes. Then she licked her fingers and ran them down her cheeks before rubbing her eyes furiously. She checked her reflection in the mirror and slowed down, pulling on to the gravel and stopping the car.

Meg twisted around, watched the tall policeman get out of his big white car and walk up toward them. “I’m scared,” she said before she could stop herself.

Her mother winked as she rolled down the window. “Nothing to be scared of. Watch this, Maggie.”

“Ma’am,” said the officer. “Do you know how fast you were going?”

Her mother sobbed and shook her head.

The policeman nodded. “Any particular reason you were speeding, veering all over the road?”

“Sir, my husband. He finally got called back to work today at the plant. He’s been laid off for months and—” her mother looked over at Meg and sniffled. “My daughter, she had to go to a doctor’s appointment in the city. My husband drives us everywhere, Officer, this is only my second time driving, so I’m not very good at it, but I had to get her there. You understand, don’t you?” Her mother’s lip quivered, her eyes huge and damp.

The officer looked across at Meg, who didn’t have to act because she actually wanted to cry. “All right, Ma’am,” he said finally. “Just be a little more careful, slow down on the way home, okay?”

“I will, Officer, I will. Thank you so— God bless you, Sir!”

He nodded, tipped his hat and went back to his cruiser. A few minutes later, he pulled away and sped past them, while Meg’s mother scrubbed at her face with a tissue.

“See, sweetie?” she said in a normal voice. “Nothing to be scared of. Even in a uniform, men are still men. Make them think you’re just a dumb blonde — or I guess in your case a dumb brunette — and you’ll get away with anything.” She winked again as she pulled away from the shoulder.

Ten minutes later, she was speeding and steering with her knees again, applying pink lipstick and offering Meg advice on colour combinations when the car drifted into the path of a pick-up truck, and she was killed instantly.


End file.
